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Gaia Home Leadership

Visionaries

Meet the people who have helped shape and develop the Gaia Home vision and who are working to make it become reality to fill the gap in end-of-life care services that currently exist in our community.

Gaia Home Board Members and Executive Director

As the highest leadership body of Gaia Home, the Board of Directors guides the organization in an ethical and passionate manner, inspiring all involved to live its mission, vision, and values while ensuring strong fiduciary oversight and financial management.

The executive director is Gaia Home’s visionary management leader, who through servant leadership principles, inspires the organization’s team, volunteers, and community to make the vision become reality.

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Jeff Ubl, Board Chair

I was very close to my grandmother and spent time with her during her end-of-life journey. Little did I know how that time would impact me later. I remember, more than anything, being conflicted between being sad and enjoying my time with her. As time has passed, I have forgotten the sadness....

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Kilee Harmon, Executive Director

My name is Kilee Harmon, and I am humbled to serve as the Executive Director of Gaia Home. I want to bring Gaia Home to fruition because I know the services and experiences it will provide will greatly impact many people as they go through the most vulnerable time of their lives....

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Rosanne Schmidt, Secretary

With more than 40 years as a professional nurse in our community, serving in many roles, including leadership roles at St. Alexius Medical Center, and through my own personal experiences, I realize there are opportunities to...

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Kristie Rants, Treasurer

I grew up in Reeder, ND but now call Bismarck my home. I am a senior manager at Eide Bailly LLP and enjoy volunteering for events and organizations that better our community, such as Boxers & Brews, Bucks for Bras, United Way, and the sports and church programs that my kids have been...

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Denise Dockter-Kambeitz

I’m Denise Dockter-Kambeitz and North Dakota has been my home for most of my life. I have met many wonderful people in the Bismarck area, and I believe supporting Gaia Home is a great way to give back to the community....

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Gaia Home Campaign Committee Members

The purpose of the committee is to successfully implement the Gaia Home Campaign plan to ensure we raise funds to build, operate and endow Gaia Home so we can provide a dignified and quality final journey for as many families as we can.

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Scott Russell, Co-Chair

My name is Scott Russell, and I am fortunate to serve as the fifth CEO & President of Cloverdale Foods Company, which is a fourth generation, family-owned meat company based in Mandan, North Dakota. Since 1915, Cloverdale has crafted premium, bold flavors which bring lasting memories...

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Renee Daffinrud, Co-Chair

Bismarck has always been my home. I was born and raised here. My husband Mike and I raised our two adult children, Dan and MiKayla, in this community. For the past 35+ years I have been in banking, with the last four years being at First International Bank and Trust....

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Jeff Ubl

I was very close to my grandmother and spent time with her during her end-of-life journey. Little did I know how that time would impact me later. I remember, more than anything, being conflicted between being sad and enjoying my time with her. As time has passed, I have forgotten the sadness....

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Chad Wachter

At my innermost core, I am a problem solver who thrives on challenges. My lifelong passion has been real estate, growing up in a family who has been in the real estate business in the Bismarck-Mandan area for more than 100 years....

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Vern Dosch

Hello. My name is Vern Dosch, and I’m newly retired from 45 years in the rural electric industry, the last 35 of which were at National Information Solutions Cooperative in Mandan, North Dakota. My idea of retirement is to take the skills, abilities, lessons learned and network that I built, and put all to use for worthwhile projects in our community. This is why...

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Melanie Carvell

The last days with my beloved mother were emotional, trying and upsetting. We had to make difficult decisions with short notice and limited guidance. I had a troubling time in the months that followed because I wished it could have been more comfortable, peaceful and supportive for...

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Gary P. Miller

In 1981 I began a career of over 30 years at St. Alexius Medical Center, in Bismarck. I served for 20 years as the CFO and 6 years as the CEO of the system before retiring. I am deeply committed to our community and served on numerous boards throughout the years including Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota, University of Mary,...

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Judy Maslowski

Hello, I am Judy Maslowski. I serve on the Gaia Home Campaign Committee because I believe the end-of-life transition should be as easy as possible, both for the dying person and their family....

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Tom Weigel

I’m involved in the Gaia Home project for personal and professional reasons. I strongly believe in the need for healing and resolution at the end of our lives. Having been in funeral service for 60 years, I have witnessed so many times where this simply did not happen. The unique setting Gaia Home will provide will be the perfect environment for a meaningful leave-taking to occur...

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Jody VonRueden-Estenson

Originally from Bismarck, I now reside in Minneapolis, MN, with my husband and two children. Even though I no longer live in Bismarck, it’s my childhood memories of my father, John E. Von Rueden, and the experience my family had with his end-of-life journey that called me to be part of the Gaia Home effort....

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Gaia Home Operations Advisory Group Members

The purpose of the operations advisory group is to help establish viable partnerships, guidelines, policies, and offerings, and to provide recommendations to the board of directors on serviceable functions to ensure a successful operational establishment of Gaia Home.

R.J. Pathroff

I am an attorney who represents companies and individuals in all aspects of business disputes. My clients come from a variety of industries, including construction, oil and gas, real estate,...

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Rosanne Schmidt

With more than 40 years as a professional nurse in our community, serving in many roles, including leadership roles at St. Alexius Medical Center, and through my own personal experiences, I realize there are opportunities to...

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Vern Dosch

Hello. My name is Vern Dosch, and I’m newly retired from 45 years in the rural electric industry, the last 35 of which were at National Information Solutions Cooperative in Mandan, North Dakota....

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Jeff Essler

I was born and raised in North Dakota, and I've spent most of my life in Bismarck after graduating from Mary College (now known as the University of Mary). I've enjoyed...

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Julie Schwab

Throughout my 30+ years in the health care industry, I have served as a RN, administrator, consultant, executive director of an Accountable Care Organization (ACO), palliative care clinic administrator, and past Director of Medical Services for the ND Department of Human Services....

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Shelly Peterson

Throughout the past 45 years, I’ve been involved with numerous community organizations supporting families, individuals and senior adults. I spent...

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Gaia Home Advisory Group Members

In 2019, this group of individuals came together on their own as they recognized a gap in end-of-life care in our community and they began discussing potential solutions. With their support they helped craft our vision, mission, and our name that will carry us throughout the journey.

Terry Rockstad, Gaia Home Founding Benefactor

My life has always been centered in Bismarck. I worked more than 40 years in the Rockstad family business, Dan’s Super Market, Inc., retiring as board chairman in 2015....

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R.J. Pathroff

I am an attorney who represents companies and individuals in all aspects of business disputes. My clients come from a variety of industries, including construction, oil and gas, real estate,...

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Chad Wachter, Gaia Home Inaugural Board Chair

At my innermost core, I am a problem solver who thrives on challenges. My lifelong passion has been real estate, growing up in a family who has been in the real estate business in the Bismarck-Mandan area for more than 100 years....

Read more
Kilee photo

Kilee Harmon, Executive Director

My name is Kilee Harmon, and I am humbled to serve as the Executive Director of Gaia Home. I want to bring Gaia Home to fruition because I know the services and experiences it will provide will greatly impact many people as they go through the most vulnerable time of their lives....

Read more
Denise Photo

Denise Dockter-Kambeitz

I’m Denise Dockter-Kambeitz and North Dakota has been my home for most of my life. I have met many wonderful people in the Bismarck area, and I believe supporting Gaia Home is a great way to give back to the community....

Read more
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SuAnn Olson

Hello, I am SuAnn Olson. I am a CPA with Eide Bailly, with an expertise in complex partnerships and corporate clients. I work with clients to address retirement and wealth preservation planning, and I advise start-up companies on choice of entity and compensation planning, as well as accounting and...

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